Dr Vino's wine blog

I’ve gotta knock this thing off….As I posted previously, I have had 92 different grape varieties in my quest for a Wine Century. So vinho verde called me like a siren yesterday.

Who knew that it had so many grape varieties? (Or for that matter that Portuguese pronounce the term something like “vinge verte.”) While I’d had alvarinho before from north of the border in Spain, I can add these grape varieties to the list:

Arinto (or Pedernal)
Avesso
Azal
Loureiro
Trajadura

I had a red too (who knew there was vinho verde red?) and that included the grape alvarelhao.

So that makes 98! I’m on a hunt to find two more….

tags: wine | wine century

Continuing our theme of talking about grape varieties this week (wait, when did that become a theme?), one of the best resources out there is, surprisingly, Appellation America. It’s surprising since there are two main ways to talk about wine, one using the grape variety and the other, the region where the grapes are grown. Being called Appellation American, you’d think they’d be more in favor of the latter. But they are clearly equal opportunity.

The illustrations are often hilarious and always useful for helping to remember something about grape varieties, both mainstream and off the beaten path.

Maybe Mike Steinberger would have been less grumpy about Sauvignon Blanc if he had seen her, um, profile?

tags: wine | wine grapes | Sauvignon Blanc

Big box retailers are usually the subject of scorn rather than praise. But wine drinkers around the country are praising a recent court decision that handed a victory to Costco Wholesale Corp that could lower prices in Washington State and beyond.

Costco has become a successful retailer based on their business model of buying huge quantities directly from manufacturers, undercutting many other retailers, and then passing on the savings to consumers (Costco policy supposedly prohibits marking an item up by more than 14 percent). To date, they have been prohibited from implementing their purchasing strategy in wine and in 2004 they failed suit against the Washington Liquor Control Board. Eric Arnold summed up the issues in a thorough review of the case on winespectator.com:

Under dispute were Washington laws that required both distributors and retailers to mark up prices at least 10 percent; prevented volume discounts; prevented retailers from buying beer and wine on credit; required posting of prices with the state; and prevented retailers from storing wine or beer at a central warehouse. Costco argued that these provisions violated the Sherman Act, which seeks to prevent hurdles unfair to businesses.

“There is little evidence that the restraints are effective in advancing the state’s interests in promoting temperance, ensuring orderly market conditions, or raising revenue,” wrote U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman as she struck down the disputed laws. The parties have 30 days to appeal the April 21 decision.

If the ruling holds, it could have ramifications nationwide since it would set a legal precedent for Costco or other retailers to challenge the “three-tier system,” which prohibits producers from selling directly to retailers in most states.

“It’s technical and doesn’t have the sex appeal of allowing consumers to deal with the wineries directly, but Costco could have an impact that affects wines at all price points,” I wrote about the case last year. Last year’s celebrated Supreme Court decision affected mostly high-end collectible wines given the high shipping costs from wineries to consumers.

Lower prices across the board? That’s something we could all raise a glass to!

tags: wine | wine laws | Costco

Variety, varietal. If there’s one guy who knows the difference, it’s Steve De Long.

Steve and Deborah De Long are on a mission to educate wine consumers about grape varieties beyond Chardonnay and Cab. They compiled the handsome De Long Varietal Table, which graphically sprinkles descriptions of 184 grape varieties on a 24 x 36 ranging from heaviest to lightest. If I owned a wine shop, I’d hang it somewhere the customers could linger and take it all in.

But since I don’t have a shop, I have instead taken an interest in their Wine Century Club. Drink wine from 100 different grape varieties and you’re in! (blends count) Membership in a club has never been so easy. The club is totally on the honor system as the application form states, “should you lie, may the wrath of Bacchus curse your palate!”

There is no physical address of this virtual club, so don’t expect to be able to relax over a glass of Pineau D’Aunis with other members. Once you’re in, though, you get a handsome plaque mailed to you and a sense of satisfaction. Best part is it’s free–and they’re not even trying to sell you a set of ginzu knives.

I handed it out at a recent class of mine and we got up to 21 that day alone. I’ve been tallying things up since then and am at 92 varieties as best I can remember. So if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to find some Scuppernong…

Download the application (in pdf)

tags: wine | wine grapes | grape varieties

When I visited a couple of wine growing regions in Argentina recently, I stumbled on some spas offering “wine therapy.” (No, I didn’t partake) Although it might sound like something straight out of Betty Ford, it actually is a massage that concludes with a laying on of skins. Grape skins. Yes, people are paying good pesos to have winery detritus heaped on them in the name of anti-oxidants.

Beer producers are apparently not going to be outdone by wine makers. The NY Times travel section reports today about the rise of “beer spas” in central Europe in a story with the witty name “Yeast of Eden.”

“Beer is very good for the skin, because of the vitamins and the yeast,” Hedwig Bauer who owns one such spa in Austria is quoted as saying. “It’s cleansing and drying.” A couple of people can hop in a barrel at once or one beer spa in the Czech Republic actually fills up a swimming pool with their brew.

Mmmm. I’m still holding out til the first coffee therapy spa opens. At least it will be the right temperature.

Image credit: NYT

tags: wine | wine spas | beer spas | travel

Our man on the ground in Amsterdam spotted this bottle of “two buck Chuck” at a wine store off the Leidseplein. Reactions:

1. They export this stuff?

2. Zinfandel?!? That’s not available at TJ’s.

3. 6.50 euros!!!!!

tags: wine | two buck Chuck | Trader Joe’s

Quite a few good events are coming up in the next couple of weeks here in New York City among them are:

4/25: Wines of Paso Robles, Union Square Ballroom, 27 Union Square West, 5:30 – 7:30, $40. Walk around tasting of 40 wineries.

4/27: Hugh Johnson, author of A Life Uncorked, book signing at the new Astor Wines.

5/1: Wines of South Africa, Puck Building, consumer tating 6 – 9 PM. Check web site for details on tastings in LA and SF.

5/3: Wines of New Zealand, Puck Building, 6:30 – 8:30. $45, 115 wines.

5/7: Trends and Transitions, James Beard symposium 10:AM – 3:00 PM, tickets $25 -$75. Five panels including “winning careers in wine” with Alpana Singh and Kevin Zraly.

Since the Puck Building is the hot venue for these events, the address is: 295 Lafayette Street (at Houston). Subway: 6 @ Bleeker.

tags: wine | wine events | NYC

Frank Prial has a long piece in today’s NYT Business section about the stunning success of the Yellow Tail brand. I’ve been fascinated by the success of the winery and the brand too and posted about yellow tail’s sales growth here. I also wrote a piece in Wine Business Monthly a couple months back on brands that American wine importers own or co-own. Yellow Tail has been the most stunning success in this area since the American rights are owned 50-50 by W.J. Deutsch of White Plains NY and the Casella family in Australia.

Here’s a crazy comparison from my data and today’s story —

Yellow Tail total production 2006 (forecast, NYT): 11.5 – 12 million cases
French wine imported to America 2005 (French Trade Office): 10.9 million cases

tags: wine | wine industry | yellow tail